Page 110 of Indulge
“Oh. Wait. Is that your fiancée, Reggie?” Lyla croons. “Why’s she with your brother? I saw them together before.”
My fists clench. “Lyla. Leave. Now.”
“And miss this drama? Not a chance.” She smirks. “While we’re all here—Rowan, I have?—”
“Shut your fucking mouth.”
If I walk away now—if I play the villain to protect him—then it’s over with Bella. She’ll think the worst of me. But I can live with that. I’ve done worse to protect my family.
Bella steps forward, fire in her eyes.
“I don’t know who you think you are,” she says to Lyla, voice sharp as glass. “But you’ll leave both of these men alone. Or we’ll have a serious problem.”
Lyla scoffs. “Please. You’ve been here five minutes. You think I’m scared of you?”
Bella laughs. Then she looks at me, and I see the warning in her eyes. If I don’t stop this, someone’s going to bleed.
“Lyla,” she says sweetly, “do everyone a favor and take your desperate, fake ass out of here.”
Lyla plants a hand on her hip, glancing between us with a smug grin. “What? You can’t decide which one has the better dick before you marry one? Let me tell you, it’s?—”
Her sentence dies when Bella lunges. On instinct, I grab Bella’s wrist mid-swing.
“Princess. Not here.” My tone drops.
She turns slowly, nostrils flaring. “Is this really what you want to do, Reggie? Because this—” she gestures between us, between all of it, “—this is a choice.”
Something inside me cracks.
By stopping her, she thinks I’m protecting Lyla.
And maybe I am, in the smallest, ugliest way, because if Lyla isn’t lying, I can’t let Bella destroy her in front of the entire club.
Conan steps out of the shadows, ready to intervene, but I hold up a hand.
“You fucking bitch!” Lyla shrieks, lunging at Bella.
Rowan grabs her, holding her back as she thrashes.
“Don’t you dare fucking touch her,” he snarls.
Bella’s eyes cut to me, volcanic fury and heartbreak burning in them. Because of me. Again.
“You want a punch in the dick now or later, Irish?” she hisses.
I blink. “Excuse me?”
She jerks free of my grip and slams her knee straight into me. Pain explodes through my stomach.
“I didn’t need Lyla to finish her sentence when I already know the answer,” she spits.
And just like that, my heart bleeds out.
Tears pool in her eyes as I straighten, ignoring the ache.
“Bella, please, let me explain all of this,” I whisper.
She shakes her head, swallowing the tears. Always fighting not to break. I know how that feels. And I hate that I’m doing this to her.
